Nanny's Diaries: July 2015

The blog posts below are taken from my grandmother's diaries. Althea Green Smith Crook was lovingly referred to as Nanny to her immediate family ~ thus her diaries are called Nanny's Diaries.

Nanny wrote in her diaries when she remembered to - mostly in the evening. There will be some years in which she didn't keep diaries and there will also be some days/weeks in her yearly diaries in which she skipped or forgot to write in them. For the most part, these are her words - written as she wrote them. There will be typos, forgotten punctuation, and other grammatical errors - but I am rewriting these as my Nanny originally wrote them.

As with all old handwriting, there are some entries that I can't quite make out - and these entries will be followed with a (?) to signify that this may or may not be correct or I can't figure out what she is trying to write.

Thank you Nanny for leaving us 50 years worth of memories! We miss you!

Friday, July 31, 2015

December 28 - 31, 1955 End of 1955

Wednesday, December 28, 1955

Nice day, quite cold. Billie and Raymond hauled slabs for Raymond shop, from Les Thomas’ mill. Betty and Holly over skating. I cleaned up the house, talked with Fern.

Thursday, December 29, 1955

Fair today. Did very little work. Betty went for a ride on Blondie up over Ridge. Billie and Raymond downtown in p.m. Cloudy in late p.m. and snow began to fall in evening. Raymond called in eve.

Friday, December 30, 1955

Up at four this morning. Bill called out. It has cleared off, about 2 inches of snow. Bill had a birthday cake tonight.

Saturday, December 31, 1955

Did up the work. Dorothea and I went to town shopping. Sat up till midnight to see new year celebrations in Times Square, New York. Jill up here all night. Dorothea out with Kennie Richardson from Norway.

END OF 1955

This is a photo of an actual note Nanny wrote in the back of her 1955 Diary in 1989.

Thursday, July 30, 2015

December 25 - 27, 1955 Christmas Day

Sunday, December 25, 1955 Christmas Day

A nice day. We had a very good Christmas. My own family home first time in four years. Company in PM. Dinner we had turkey, roast pork, chicken, turnips, onion, carrots and spinach ring, shell beans, pickles, olives, celery, mashed potato, gravies, cranberry sauce, salad, rolls, coffee, tea, lemon sponge, squash, pecan, chocolate, butterscotch pies. Suet pudding, Christmas cookies, chocolate Angel cake, chiffon cake, ice cream.

Monday, December 26, 1955

Very cold. I washed. Bill fixed washing machine. Dorothea did up housework. Brud and family called, they brought Ken and Delores home from visiting with them.

Tuesday, December 27, 1955

Nice day. I ironed. Kids skating. Billie, Raymond hauled sawdust. John Linscott gave Betty a little jersey calf. Betty is going to raise and care for it.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

December 21 - 24, 1955 Christmas Eve

Wednesday, December 21, 1955

Very nice day but awful cold, 15 below here, 22-25 below downtown. Car didn’t start very good. I churned. Raymond called and Billie went to town with him. Betty home from school early, it being last day this term.

Thursday, December 22, 1955

I finished up the cooking. Wash some windows. Bill and Betty over to Norway this p.m. Bill didn’t have to work. Betty did her shopping. Very cold.

Friday, December 23, 1955

Nice day. Dorothea home early. She and I went to town in p.m. and done rest of our shopping. Cleaned up the house all through.

Saturday, December 24, 1955

Did up the housework. Made corn balls etc. Cloudy and snowed some. Bill and Dorothea went to Portland to do some shopping and took Ken and Delores down to meet the train to go to Brud and Verna’s for Christmas. Our tree looked very good with all the gifts.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

December 17 - 20, 1955

Saturday, December 17, 1955

Dorothea and I to town in p.m., did some Christmas shopping. Did Billie’s for him too.

Sunday, December 18, 1955

Did up the work, kids to church and Sunday school. Rayburn, Joan and Karen called in p.m. Dorothea down to Ferns in p.m.

Monday, December 19, 1955

I washed, quite cold and windy. Mama got cold, didn’t get up till late.

Tuesday, December 20, 1955

Very nice day but awful cold all day. I got the clothes in, ironed, cooked. Dorothea did some cooking after supper. Dolores called in a.m. Raymond called in evening, also Barb and Philip.

Monday, July 27, 2015

December 12 - 16, 1955 Blanche in Auto Accident

Monday, December 12, 1955

Very cold. Dorothea began work today at the Norway shoe shop. I washed. Billie began work at Chet’s again. Backed some more cards.

Tuesday, December 13, 1955

Nice day, cold. I churned. Chet put on the new tie up door. Billie’s new beef heifer came from Elmer Fogg. Billie and I over to Jim and Mildred’s in evening. Jim hauled some hay. Billie worked up Chet’s. Dorothea’s second day at work. Arthurlene Andrews and Roger Lowell here after school. Hauled more logs today. Blanche in car accident today. Mailed Christmas cards.

Wednesday, December 14, 1955

A nice day, clouded up in p.m. Billie got the Jersey heifer over to Jim Chadbourne’s he traded for hay. I ironed and cooked.

Thursday, December 15, 1955

Nice day. Did up the work. The beef came back tonight all cut and wrapped. It was very good.

Friday, December 16, 1955

I cleaned up the house, we backed some cards. The Christmas order came today, most of it, rest will come during the week.